3 houses gutted in Gojwara blaze

Srinagar, Oct 28: At least three houses were gutted in a fire incident at Gojwara locality in Downtown.

The incident occurred around 5 am near Bahuddin Sahab area of Gojwara. An official from Fire and Emergency Services said that multiple fire tenders from Rainawari, Babademb, Headquarters, and Nowshera were pressed to douse off the flames.

“The fire was brought under control, however three houses were damaged in the incident. One of the houses had major damage on the top floor, while the other two were partially damaged. The roof portion and furniture of the house were also damaged,” said an official, adding that the cause of the fire is being ascertained.

The locals said that in addition to the area being congested, low-lying and worn-out power lines hindered the movement of fire tenders.

“This happens every time during such emergency incidents. We appeal to the authorities to fix the power lines so that movement of emergency vehicles is not hindered,” said a local.

The fire victims said that they lost everything in the incident. “We are only left with clothes that we are wearing. We are currently putting up at the neighbor’s place. We detected the fire in the early hours of the morning, and in no time, it spread. Our house has been completely damaged,” said a fire victim.

Meanwhile, many politicians voiced their concern about the incident and demanded all possible help to the families.

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference general secretary and MLA Khanyar, Ali Muhammad Sagar Monday visited the fire victims at Baha-Ud-Din Gungbaksh in Nowhatta.

Sagar instructed district administration officials to swiftly provide relief and fair compensation to the families affected by the fire.

He assured the victims of his unwavering support during this challenging time, promising to ensure they receive the necessary assistance without delay.

Sagar personally made on-the-spot telephonic calls to the concerned officials, urging them to swiftly reach out to the affected households with immediate relief and compensation.

“My deepest sympathies go out to the families who lost their homes in a devastating fire in Srinagar's Bahauddin Sahab, Gojwara area, early this morning. Three residential houses were reduced to ashes in this unfortunate incident, leaving several families homeless. I urge the administration to provide adequate compensation to the affected families so they can rebuild their homes before the harsh winter starts here.” Altaf Bukhari, president of J&K Apni Party said in a statement.